St. Paul daily globe., 1887-10-14
BURIAL AT SEA.
Steamers Have No Means of Keep
ing Bodies and They Depress
PassenDerS

Passengers.
When death occurs at sea a certifi-
cate is filed containing all information
as to the probable causes which pro-
duced death, and also as to the manner
of dlsposing of the body, says the New
York World. The bodies of persons
who die at sea are kept twenty-f0ur
hours. In bygone times superstition
prevailed among the sailors thatif
dead body were kept aboard vessel de-
struction would be its inevitable doom,
but the notion does not exist among
modern sailors. Rev.B. B Dayton, of Am
boy, N. Y.,while returning from abroad
on the Cunard steamer Etruria, died
suddenly, and his body was buried at
sea. The action of the officers in thus
disposing of the body gave rise to much
adverse criticism. Some of the paSSeD-
gers said the services we're not OF q be-
coming nature. This report has reached
the ears of the dead mans wife and
family and their friends. In order that
the facts of the case might be under
stood, the following statement was
made by the officers of the ship:
THE body was discovered dead in the
stateroOm about o'clock Monday even
ing. Immediately the doctor OF the
the usual preparations were made, the
remains were laid out and enshrOuded
with an English flag because that con-
tainS a cross. Tuesday morning the
body was Sewed up in canvas and
then deposited in a wooden box, covered
over with the fay. Solemnly and with
every evidence of respect the remains
were carried on the shoulders of eight
sailors to the after gangway. Chief
Officer Seccomb, humane and Chris
tian sailor, had charge of the funeral
arrangements. A few minutes after 8
O'Clock Tuesday morning the ships Off
GERS and large number of cabin pas
SengerS encircled the body and the fun
eral services were conducted by min
lister, one of the passengers. At their
conclusion and when the minister read
the words, L now cOnSign this body to
the Deep the box, heavily weighted
down with iron, was slid into the ocean.
No secrecy prevailed and everything
was done in proper and orderly man
ner, being witnessed by any of the pas
SengerS who were so deSirOuS."
A burial at sea is a solemn and i'm
preSsive event, and not many passen-
gers like to witness it. A death at sea
casts gloom over the rest OF the pas
sengerS, and naturally enough the Off
GERS Try TO 90 everything connected WIN
the burial with as little OStentation and
display as possible. On every steamer
the custom is to bury the dead at sea.
The captain of the ship is the sole ar
bitter in this matter. Whenever it is
possible the body is carried into port,
providing the officers are convinced
that the body will be claimed upon its
arrival. All seamen are firm supporters
of the theory that all persons dying on
the high seas, unless a short distance
from port, should be given up to the
deep. On a heavily-laden steamer no
room is provided where a dead body
could be possibly preserved. The med
icine chest usually carried does not con-
tain the necessary articles required to
embalm body.
The French and White Star lines
carry metallic coffins, and where the
friends of deceased person manifest a
desire or are anxious to undergo the eX-
pense the body will be preserved and
carried to port if it can be done without
danger to the other passengers. Numer-
Gus cases have occurred where men of
wealth and distinction travelling for
their health have been buried at sea
simply because they were unaccom-
panied and no evidence of who they
were could be obtained. No law exists,
as some steamship men claim, that
makes it compulsory upon the captain
of ship to bury dead body at sea.